Checklist of the infraorder Tipulomorpha (Trichoceridae,Tipuloidea) (Diptera) of Finland

A checklist of the infraorder Tipulomorpha: families Trichoceridae, Pediciidae, Limoniidae, Cylindrotomidae and Tipulidae (Diptera) recorded from Finland.     

Sequential requirements of the N-terminal palmitoylation site and SH2 domain of Src family kinases in the initiation and progression of FcepsilonRI signaling

Initial biochemical signaling originating from high-affinity immunoglobulin E receptor (FcepsilonRI) has been ascribed to Src family kinases. To understand the mechanisms by which individual kinases drive the signaling, we conducted reconstitution experiments: FcepsilonRI signaling in RBL2H3 cells was first suppressed by a membrane-anchored, gain-of-function C-terminal Src kinase and then reconstructed with Src family kinases whose C-terminal negative regulatory sequence was replaced with a c-myc epitope. Those constructs derived from Lyn and Fyn, which are associated with detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs), physically interacted with resting FcepsilonRI and reconstructed clustering-induced signaling that leads to calcium mobilization and ERK1 and -2 activation. c-Src-derived construct, which was excluded from DRMs, failed to interact with FcepsilonRI and to restore the signaling, whereas creation of palmitoylatable Cys3 enabled it to interact with DRMs and with FcepsilonRI and to restore the signaling. Deletion of Src homology 3 (SH3) domain from the Lyn-derived construct did not alter its ability to transduce the series of signaling. Deletion of SH2 domain did not affect its association with DRMs and with FcepsilonRI nor clustering-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of FcepsilonRI beta and gamma subunits, but it almost abrogated the next step of tyrosine phosphorylation of Syk and its recruitment to FcepsilonRI. These findings suggest that Lyn and Fyn could, but c-Src could not, drive FcepsilonRI signaling and that N-terminal palmitoylation and SH2 domain are required in sequence for the initial interaction with FcepsilonRI and for the signal progression to the molecular assembly.     

Fatty acid composition and antioxidant activity of Antarctic marine sponges of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Latrunculia</Emphasis>

The fatty acid composition of marine cold-water sponges of genus Latrunculia, namely Latrunculia bocagei Ridley and Dendy, 1886, and Latrunculia biformis Kirkpatrick, 1907, for which no fatty acid data had been previously reported, has been examined. High levels of long-chain fatty acids (C_24–30) with high unsaturation levels (mainly polyunsaturation), and high incidence of branched- and odd-chain fatty acids in sponges are suggested to be partially connected with their specific cell membrane requirements to surmount the negative effects of low temperatures and to enable growth in extreme environments. Furthermore, variations in the fatty acid profile at the species level may reflect variations in compositions or quantities of symbiotic microorganisms that commonly represent up to 60 % of the sponge wet weight. The fatty acid compositions of lipid-rich sponge extracts from five Latrunculia specimens dredged from the Bransfield Strait near the Antarctic Peninsula, were obtained using supercritical carbon dioxide and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–flame ionization detection. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of these extracts were determined using the photochemiluminescent method. Along with common fatty acids, the chemical analyses revealed very long-chain fatty acids (C22, C24). Differences were seen for the fatty acid levels between both species and different specimens of the same species. The observed differences do not seem connected to the habitat depth of the specimen, but rather indicate the variations within the associated microbiome. Furthermore, these sponge extracts showed antioxidant activities, confirming that they contain lipidic compounds that strongly scavenge free radicals.     

提高草鲂杂交种夏花成活率的研究

以草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idellus)为母本和以三角鲂(Megalobrama terminalis)为父本的杂交育种工作,我们已连续进行了六年的试验研究。前五年的试验,都是夏花阶段死亡大,成活率低(5—10%),这与国内其他研究单位报道的草团(Ctenopharyngodon idellus ♀×Megalobrama amdlycephala♂)杂交夏花成活率不高的情况很相类似。是什么原因导致草(♀)×三角鲂(♂)杂种一代夏花成活率不高?作者从卵子的成熟、精子的质量以及受精后胚胎发育的环境条件等多方面进行了综合考察。       

Preference of food particle size among several urban ant species

Appropriate particle size may be a critical characteristic for effective granular ant baits. We examined the particle size preference of six species of pest ants to an anchovy-based bait. We also examined head capsule widths of Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr) (mean = 0.54 mm), California harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex californicus (Buckley) (mean = 1.63 mm), red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren (mean = 0.9 mm), and southern fire ants, Solenopsis xyloni McCook (mean = 0.76 mm) and compared them with the first and second most preferred particle size. There were differences between particle size of which the most mass was removed and of which there were more particles removed by ants. California Argentine ants, southern fire ants, and Alabama Argentine ants removed more 840 to 1,000-microm particle mass of the anchovy diet but had more visits to dishes containing 420 to 590 microm particles. California harvester ants and Allegheny mound ants, Formica spp., removed more >2,000 microm particle mass but visited dishes containing 1,000 to 2,000 microm particles more often. Red imported fire ants also removed more >2,000 microm particle mass but visited dishes with 590 to 840-microm particles most often. Pharaoh ants, Monomorium pharaonis (L.), removed and visited 420 to 590-microm particles more than any other size. A linear regression model determined that particle size preferred by each ant species relates to forager head width. The majority of particles of commercial ant bait, including Amdro, Ascend, Award, Bushwhacker, Max Force with fipronil, and old and new formulations of Max Force with hydramethylnon, were 1,000 to 2,000 microm, but the majority of Niban particles were <420 microm. Altering the size of particles of toxic ant baits to fit the particle size preference of each pest ant species may increase the efficacy of ant baits.     

Effect of snow removal on leaf water potential,soil moisture,leaf and soil nutrient status and leaf peroxidase activity of sugar maple

Effect of removal of snow cover in winter was investigated in an 80-year-old sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) stand in southern Quebec. We hypothesized that winter soil frost would induce some of the decline symptoms observed in sugar maple stands in southern Quebec in the early 1980's. Snow was continuously removed from around trees for a one week (partial removal) or for a four-month period (complete removal) during the 1990–1991 winter. Foliage and soils were sampled periodically during the summer of 1991. The complete snow removal treated trees showed decreased leaf water potential and increased peroxidase activity over most of the growing season. Foliar Ca was reduced in both snow removal treatments early in the growing season while foliar N was reduced in the complete snow removal trees late in the growing season. Soil NO ₃ ^– and K⁺ were elevated in both snow removal treatments at various times throughout the growing season. Prolonged soil frost in a sugar maple stand can induce lower leaf water potential, higher leaf peroxidase activity and early leaf senescence during the following growing season. Soil frost may have reduced nutrient uptake without affecting significantly the leaf nutrient status.     

工业化学品的生态毒理学剖面分析

在过去的十年里,已经证明工业化学品不仅出现在被应用的地区,而且其出现也是全球性的,或者是超地区性的。这就导致了环境化学品未曾预料到的和非故意的到处存在,包括在食物甚至人体内。因此,国际上一致同意,对一切(至少目前是这样)新的化学品进行必要的试验,其中包括物理化学、生态毒理学和毒理学诸方面。物理化学和毒理学领域的评价方法已经建立,新的生态毒理学领域的相应的试验方法仍处在发展阶段。生态毒理学的筛选方法有两条途径:第一,模拟一个尽可能小的生态系,并在这个模拟小生态系里试验有关的物质;第二,选择一些能够用于生态毒理学评价的参数,然后在应用条件下研究这些参数。       

Cloning,Heterologous Expression,Purification and Characterization of M12 Mutant of Aspergillus niger Glucose Oxidase in Yeast Pichia pastoris KM71H

Aspergillus niger glucose oxidase (GOx) genes for wild-type (GenBank accession no. X16061, swiss-Prot; P13006) and M12 mutant (N2Y, K13E, T30 V, I94 V, K152R) were cloned into pPICZαA vector for expression in Pichia pastoris KM71H strain. The highest expression level of 17.5 U/mL of fermentation media was obtained in 0.5 % (v/v) methanol after 9 days of fermentation. The recombinant GOx was purified by cross-flow ultrafiltration using membranes of 30 kDa molecular cutoff and DEAE ion-exchange chromatography at pH 6.0. Purified wt GOx had k _cat of 189.4 s^?1 and K _m of 28.26 mM while M12 GOx had k _cat of 352.0 s^?1 and K _m of 13.33 mM for glucose at pH 5.5. Specificity constants k _cat/K _m of wt (6.70 mM^?1 s^?1) and M12 GOx (26.7 mM^?1 s^?1) expressed in P. pastoris KM71H were around three times higher than for the same enzymes previously expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae InvSc1 strain. The pH optimum and sugar specificity of M12 mutant of GOx remained similar to the wild-type form of the enzyme, while thermostability was slightly decreased. M12 GOx expressed in P. pastoris showed three times higher activity compared to the wt GOx toward redox mediators like N,N-dimethyl-nitroso-aniline used for glucose strips manufacturing. M12 mutant of GOx produced in P. pastoris KM71H could be useful for manufacturing of glucose biosensors and biofuel cells.     

Direct whole plant regeneration of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] from cotyledonary node thin cell layer explants

A simple protocol was established for high frequency direct shoot regeneration of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) cv. EPACE-1]. Bud proliferation occurred at the cotyledonary nodes of cowpea seedlings three weeks after culture on a medium containing Murashige and Skoog salts (1962) and B5 vitamins (Gamborg et al. 1968) supplemented with TDZ. A 10 μmol/L TDZ pre-treatment, shoot tip removal and excision of longitudinal thin cell layers (TCL) at the level of the cotyledonary nodes with subsequent culture on a MSB5 medium supplemented with 1 μmol/L IBA and 1 μmol/L TDZ were the optimal conditions for maximum bud proliferation. Up to 32.5 regenerated shoot buds were produced per TCL. The regenerated plants (R₀) were true-to-type and successfully transferred to soil.